These Feelings
by Niamara
Summary: It's James', Lily's, and Remus' first ride to Hogwarts, and James starts getting these urges to impress a certain redhead. Fluffy LJness. Oneshot.


_Title:_ These Feelings  
_Thank you:_ To my best friend Melissa for editing this for me! You get a cookie. :) She made it so it's legible for you guys to read!  
_Authors Notes: _This was originally going to be part of another fic that I plan on writing (eventually…) but I couldn't just leave it as 200 or so words. As you can tell, it evolved into something so much more! Now I'll stop blabbing and let you read. :)

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"Bye, mum! Bye, dad! I promise I'll write!" An 11-year-old James Potter called to his parents as the Hogwarts Express wheeled away from the platform.

James picked up the handle of his trunk and dragged it down the corridor, peering into the compartments, doubting he would find an empty one.

At last, he found a compartment that was empty, save one boy that looked around James' age. Carefully, he slid open the door. "Could I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

The boy looked up from the textbook he was reading. In the doorway stood a boy no older than himself, with hair as black as night and glasses perched in front of twinkling, hazel eyes. This boy was a tad taller than he was, _and he probably looks much healthier_, the wizard thought sadly. "Sure. Come on in," he said finally.

"Great." James smiled, closing the door behind him. "I'm James Potter."

The boy smiled. "I'm Remus Lupin. Good to meet you."

"Good to meet you too," James responded, remembering how his mother told him to use his manners. James bent down and tried picking up his trunk, but immediately dropped it. "Bugger," he swore.

"What is it?" Remus asked, looking up from his tattered textbook.

"I can't get my trunk up to the rack," James confessed. "Wait a second," he said, looking around. "Where's your trunk?"

"It's under my seat. I couldn't get mine up either," Remus smiled, sheepishly.

James grinned back, shoving his trunk under his seat. Quietly, he sat down as Remus turned back to his book, drinking in the information. James looked over at the boy: on closer inspection, James thought he looked a tad older than himself. _Could he be in second year?_ James wondered. The boy – Remus, he had said – looked pale. His sandy-blond hair didn't help him, either, though his chocolate brown eyes sparkled with warmth. James supposed he was a bit taller than Remus, who looked really thin.

_Do they feed him enough at home?_ _Though…he could be sick…or maybe he spends too much time inside reading. But reading involves quiet and no quidditch…and quiet! How can he stand it so quiet?_

James unconsciously started tapping his finger on his leg, glancing up again at Remus. He didn't seem to notice anything, as he was so absorbed in his book.

"What's your favourite Quidditch team?" James blurted out, unable to stand the silence.

"Quidditch team?" Remus questioned, marking his page and placing the textbook carefully beside him.

"You _do_ follow Quidditch…don't you?"

Remus looked down at his shoes. "Actually, I…don't really know what quidditch is."

James looked incredulous. "You don't know what quidditch is? It's only the best sport in the world!" And with that, James launched into a full description of Quidditch, explaining all the positions, scoring, and the different variations of charmed balls. From what he was saying, the bludgers sounded particularly dangerous.

"…and next year, I'm trying out for the team," James finished, proudly.

"Next year? Why not this year?" Remus asked, confused. "I'm sure you'd be good enough."

"Well, my dad said first years don't ever make the house teams. But I guess I _could_ try out, anyway," James mused. "I mean, I've been practicing for a _long_ time. I could actually be really good! D'you think I'll make it, Remus?"

"Sure, I'll bet you'll be really good," Remus answered, watching his new friend's face alight with hope and determination. "But," he continued, "Quidditch sounds a little dangerous, don't you think? I mean those bludgers sound quite nasty."

"No! Of course Quidditch isn't dange – "

"Excuse me, sorry to be a bother, but is it all right if I sit here? I've walked the whole train and everywhere else is full."

In the doorway stood a young girl. A _pretty_ young girl, James noted. The top half of her fiery red hair was in a braid, tied at the end with a yellow ribbon. The rest of her hair flowed smoothly and ended in soft ringlets, which fell to her mid-back. Her pale skin was dotted with freckles, but James was drawn to her eyes. Though the girl seemed calm on the outside, her glimmering, emerald eyes showed otherwise: fright and determination were evident.

"Of course! Come on in!" James heard Remus say. James blinked, realizing he had been staring. "I'm Remus Lupin, and this is James Potter."

"I'm Lily Evans," the girl smiled, dragging her trunk past the door.

"Oh, here, let me help!" James exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. He took Lily's trunk and dragged it over to one side of the compartment, stowing it under the seat next to his.

"Thanks!" Lily said, almost giggling as James cheeks turned the faintest pink. "So," Lily said, plopping down in her seat, "what were you boys talking about?"

"James, here, was just telling me how – "

" – how _dangerous_ Quidditch is!" James shot a look at Remus before taking his own seat. "I'm trying out for the team this year. I've got my own broom at home and everything, so mum can owl it if – _when_ – I make it." James puffed out his chest proudly.

"Er, sorry…Quidditch? Why would you need a broom for that?"

For the second time that day, James looked completely flabbergasted. "You don't know what Quidditch is, either? How have you two survived for eleven years?" And again James launched into a speech about Quidditch, explaining that you use the brooms to fly.

Lily gasped and laughed appreciatively as James told his tale, too caught up in impressing the young witch to notice that Remus was also gazing at Lily over the top of his book. Periodically, she would catch his eye and grin; Remus would smile shyly back and drop his eyes to the words of his textbook, only to look back up at her again a few moments later.

_Stop it_, Remus kept telling himself, whenever she caught his eye. _Just stop it. Even if she did like you back, Remus Lupin, it's not as if she would accept you. You're different! You're not like her. If you really fancy her, stay away, so you can't hurt her once she realizes what you are…_

"Remus?" Lily's voice brought him back to reality. "Remus, are you ok? You look sad." Lily was looking over at him; James was still in mid-gesture – apparently he hadn't finished telling his story yet.

"Yeah, of course I'm ok. I just…miss my parents, is all. We've never been away, you see. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise," Remus added, noting the apprehensive look on the girl's face.

"So then," James continued, "cousin Jeremy let out the snitch, and I caught it! Just like _that_." He snapped his fingers for effect.

"Like _that_." Lily snapped her fingers, mimicking James.

"Yeah. I've been trying out all the positions. He says I'm a natural chaser. And then there was this one time at my Uncle Albert's house – "

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" James looked around, looking for who had interrupted him this time. An old witch was at the door, wheeling a cart of the most delicious candy the wizarding world had to offer.

"Food!" James exclaimed, his mouth beginning to water, all thoughts about his story were erased from his mind. "I'll have two cauldron cakes, a licorice…" He glanced over at Lily. "Girls first," he smiled, stepping back.

"Oh, no, I couldn't! You were first, it's only fair," Lily replied.

"No, really, I insist."

"Thanks," said Lily, her voice soft. Stepping forward, she asked: "Could I have a Mars Bar, please?" She reached into her pocket for the strange coins witches and wizards used.

"A what, dear?" the witch asked.

"A Mars Bar," Lily repeated.

"I'm afraid we don't have those, dear."

"Oh! Um…ok. How about Smarties?" The witch shook her head. "Um, caramilk? Reece's Pieces? M & Ms?"

"You must be Muggle Born," the witch said, kindly. Lily looked up at her with a confused expression. "It's alright dear. We don't have those, but we do have cauldron cakes, licorice wands, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, chocolate frogs…"

"I'm ok, thanks," Lily said sadly, storing the money back in her pocket.

"Remus, mate?" James asked.

"No, thank you. My mum packed me a lunch."

"So did mine, but that doesn't mean I don't want candy!" James exclaimed. Turning back to the trolley witch, James said, "Ok, scratch what I said before. I'll have _six_ cauldron cakes, four licorice wands, three pieces of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, six chocolate frogs, three pumpkin pasties, and three packets of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans."

The witch looked surprised, but nonetheless started handing James his sweets. James looked back at Lily and Remus, who were staring at him as if he was mad. "Could you two please help me bring this back into the compartment? I don't reckon I can carry it all myself."

Once the enormous mound of candy was brought in and James had paid the witch her money, he started dividing the sweets into three equal piles.

"What's that, breakfast, lunch and dinner for tomorrow?" Lily joked.

"I wish," James answered, busily dividing the candy equally, storing a licorice wand in his pocket for later. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Ok, Remus, your pile is on the right. Lily, yours is in the middle, and mine's here, on the left. No stealing from someone else's pile, but you can trade candy, if you don't like it."

"What do you mean, my pile is the middle one?" Lily questioned.

"I mean, all the candy in the middle pile is yours," James explained, looking at her strangely.

"But…I didn't pay for that."

"I know. I did."

"But why?" Lily asked, confused.

"Because…because you've _got_ to taste wizard candy!" James lied. He couldn't tell Lily he thought she was pretty. Not yet, at least, and not in front of Remus. What if she laughed at him, and told him he had cooties?

"Thank you, James," Lily said, smiling sweetly. She picked up a pack of Every Flavoured Beans and returned to her seat, gingerly opening the candy.

"Remus, mate, have some candy," James said, offering Remus a licorice wand.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly – "

"But I can't eat all this by myself!" James protested, holding the candy out even farther.

"Oh, all right," Remus said, taking the licorice wand. "It was right nice of you to do this. Thanks."

"No problem," James grinned, taking a chocolate frog himself. He opened it, watching Lily timidly nibble on a bean.

As Lily grinned shyly back, James felt himself blush slightly for the second time that day. He had no idea why his heart sped up when he saw her, or why he wanted to make her happy; he just did. These were two things he couldn't explain, and little did James know he would have these feelings – and many more – the rest of his life.

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_Authors Note…Again: _Well! Something that I'd planned to be a small part of another fic certainly dragged on! But I couldn't just leave little!Remus, little!James, and little!Lily! They're so cute, no? Tell me in a review. ;)

Oh, and if anyone has time, can you check out one of my other stories, _Slipped Away_? It's not a category often read, so it hasn't gotten much feedback. And I want to know what you guys think! Thanks.


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